diff --git a/Classes/Controller/NewsFeedController.php b/Classes/Controller/NewsFeedController.php
index c986f508423e839097f9e2bbd55a96eac5c3afb7..696cf917817ed8fd85b304e13be82c7a318a9dca 100644
--- a/Classes/Controller/NewsFeedController.php
+++ b/Classes/Controller/NewsFeedController.php
@@ -38,7 +38,14 @@ class NewsFeedController extends AbstractController {
 	/**
 	 * @var NewsRepository
 	 */
-	protected $newsRepository;
+	protected NewsRepository $newsRepository;
+
+	/**
+	 * @param NewsRepository $newsRepository
+	 */
+	public function injectNewsRepository(NewsRepository $newsRepository) {
+		$this->newsRepository = $newsRepository;
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Renders the news feed
@@ -49,8 +56,8 @@ class NewsFeedController extends AbstractController {
 	public function indexAction(): ?\Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface {
 		$categories = GeneralUtility::intExplode(',', $this->settings['showCategories'], TRUE);
 		$tags = GeneralUtility::intExplode(',', $this->settings['showTags'], TRUE);
-		$startTime = (int) $this->settings['starttime'];
-		$endTime = (int) $this->settings['endtime'];
+		$startTime = (int) ($this->settings['starttime'] ?? 0);
+		$endTime = (int) ($this->settings['endtime'] ?? 0);
 		$news = $this->newsRepository->findLastUpdatedOrHighlightedNewsByCategories(
 			10,
 			FALSE,
@@ -85,15 +92,8 @@ class NewsFeedController extends AbstractController {
 
 		if (version_compare(\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Utility\VersionNumberUtility::getCurrentTypo3Version(), '11.0.0', '<')) {
 			return NULL;
-		} else {
-			return $this->htmlResponse();
 		}
-	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @param NewsRepository $newsRepository
-	 */
-	public function injectNewsRepository(NewsRepository $newsRepository) {
-		$this->newsRepository = $newsRepository;
+		return $this->htmlResponse();
 	}
 }